Winning Hearts
by bjhovey
Summary: Hinoka's life has spiraled downward since the war ended, and she's noticed that Sakura's has as well. After a year or so of melancholy, Ryoma has an idea for himself that may give meaning to the girls as well. Is it what they're really looking for? Hinoka might just need someone out there to come and win her heart. Reviews are much appreciated! :)
1. Chapter 1

I glided across the plains on the back of my pegasus, Crystal, with the wind flowing through my hair. I had decided to let it grow out a bit over the year or so that had passed since the war. It now fell a bit past my shoulders, a deep scarlet. I was still getting used to everything that had happened. Mother was gone, mysterious old Azura seemed to have disappeared, and Sakura...

Sakura hadn't left or anything, but her bright spirit seemed gone. Not many people had known it to begin with, but Sakura's happy personality that she hid beneath her timid nature had been crushed by the war. I noticed it as soon as it left her, not long after we got home. When she was wrapped in her layers of shyness, there was no small smile left on her face anymore. She didn't even talk to me anymore, my own sister. I didn't know what to do about it.

Now that the war was over and I had my sister Corrin back, life seemed too simple. I had no drive, no real purpose. There was a hole in my heart that needed some sort of passion to fill it. It was a hole I couldn't ignore. The emptiness drove me mad. Really, it had turned out that Sakura wasn't the only one brought down by the war. Even Ryoma seemed a bit more stressed than he had been, although that came with being king. It burdened him.

Riding the air was my escape from all of that, I supposed. But it left me in thought, which was rife with my problems I sought to ignore. My pegasus had been battered by the fires of war as well. Crystal evidently felt an aching in her bones as she flew. Hopefully, though, she would still be long for this world yet. She was one of many things I wasn't ready to lose. I stroked her mane gently, although not enough to distract her. She had to navigate, after all. I was headed home after a visit to Nohr. I hated it there, but all of us Hoshidan nobles took turns visiting the remaining Nohrian royalty, Leo and Camilla. They were still dark, cruel people. I loathed their presence. But as horrible as it was, it was my duty as one of our peacekeepers to stay a night at gloomy old Krakenburg. It was cold, shady and there was always a draft. I would hear Camilla and her husband, Keaton, up most of the night doing, well, whatever it was they did. I didn't really care.

All in all, though, my life was pretty good. So why did it, for some reason, feel like it was falling apart? I thought about talking to Azama and Setsuna, but I knew they wouldn't be able to comfort me. It was nearly time for me to land, though. Crystal slowed, and began her descent as we came upon the capital. It was still another hour before we landed, but it wasn't as if there was much going on up there. I tried to relax my mind and not think too much.

Ryoma had met me at the stable where I touched ground, "Welcome back, sister. How was it?"

I scoffed, "The trip was horrid, as always. I don't know why you ask, the answer will never change. Camilla and Leo are right at the bottom of my _I probably wouldn't kill them_ list. That probably is by no means certain, by the way."

"You're always so grumpy when you return from Nohr," he tied up my steed for me, "Isn't there some optimism to be found in a long trip away from home?"

"There isn't when that trip is to my hell on earth," I grumbled, and tied my hair back. Despite liking its new length, I couldn't stand it in my face.

Ryoma rolled his eyes, "I go there as much as you do, Hinoka. It's really not so bad if you give it a chance. I mean, I despise it too, but couldn't you try to find something good in it?"

He was beginning to get on my nerves, "No. I'm sorry Ryoma, but Nohr is infested with cons and not a pro in sight. I want to get some sleep, since I hardly could there. Goodnight, brother."

I didn't really let him answer, turning away to go to my room. He probably said goodnight, at least, but I couldn't be bothered to listen. I was fairly miserable, and needed some rest. I stormed off to my room in a nasty mood. It really was good luck that I didn't happen upon anyone else on my way to my chambers, because I think they would have invoked my wrath, whoever it might have been.

As soon as my door latched behind me, I made it my first order of business to get out of my rider's clothes. They were comfortable, but I didn't particularly enjoy wearing them for more than a few hours on end. They had too many little pads and layers. It was understandable, since they were made to break my fall should I tumble out of the air upon Crystal. But they grew stiff and bothersome, so I was glad to free myself from them. I slipped into a nightgown and buried myself in my heavy blanket on my bed. For some reason, though it wasn't accurate, this was where I felt the most alone. In my own bed, only a few doors away from my siblings. Not in the open air over an uninhabited stretch of land. My most lonely spot was under the covers. It had always been like that. When I was little, I had to have a large stuffed toy with me in bed. It was a pegasus, modeled after Crystal's mother. I remember it looking a lot like Crystal does now. But I decided a few years ago that I was much too old for that. What I wouldn't give to have it right now...

Hell, if it would help my mood, I didn't care how immature it was. I walked across the room to my closet and pulled the old thing out of the back. It was a bit tattered in places from years of love, but the overall condition of it was surprisingly nice. I squeezed it as tight as I could, and carried it back to bed with me. Although I felt as if I were ten years old, the feeling was very comforting and I was able to fall asleep without a depressing frustration looming over me. That was nice, for a change.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up peacefully from a nice long sleep for the first time in a few days. My muscles ached a little from the long ride back from Nohr, but they weren't too bad. I curled my knees in so that my feet would stay under the blanket, and laid there. But there was no real joy in my thoughts, so it wasn't worth relaxing. I figured I'd rather be up doing something. So I reluctantly lifted my sore bones out of bed and got out of my nightgown. I rubbed my stiff spots, pushing hard on them and working out the kinks. My inner thighs were both bruised, because Crystal's flying grew rougher with age. I hadn't felt aching in there since I'd started riding on an old horse before I got to ride Crystal. So I rubbed my thighs, putting as much pressure on them as I could. It hurt, but I knew it would feel better later.

After I was finished, I got dressed and went outside. It was about ten in the morning, so the sun was high and bright. My personal garden was somewhere I loved to be. I even grew some vegetables in the center. They gave me something to do, something to take care of. I watered them from the fountain with a spouted bucket. It rained often enough that I could just take water out of the fountain like that, and it would fill back up soon enough. Thorns pricked my forearm as I reached into a rose bush to water the daikon radishes behind it. Ouch. I pulled up the sleeve of my dress and found long scratches along the back of my arm, one of them bleeding profusely. I cried for help, and I heard someone come running. Much to my dismay, it was Hinata. He came over and looked wide eyed at my wound.

"Wow, that looks bad," he remarked. What an idiot. Of course it hurt, I was leaking blood like the fountain was spraying water.

I swore loudly, "Can't you do something? That's why I cried for help, isn't it?"

Hinata stammered, "W-well there isn't much I can do, Lady Hinoka. What do you sugge-"

I cut him off, screaming, "Go find me someone who can, then! I'd rather not bleed out on the ground, if you don't mind!"

He took off sprinting out of the garden. I poured some water over the scratch on my forearm. It wasn't even that bad, it shouldn't have been bleeding that much. I swore a few more times to myself, being alone in the garden once more. The pain was fairly bad, but the worst part was the weak feeling from my shoulder down. For all I could move it, it might as well have been severed off. It wasn't until twenty minutes later or so that Azama came rushing in. The bleeding had been stopped for fifteen minutes already by then. He gave me a very concerned look.

"Lady Hinoka! Are you okay? Shall I amputate it?" he joked, running up to me.

I rolled my eyes, "Azama, it was only a scratch. It bled like crazy, though."

He nodded, "I noticed, milady," Azama looked down at me. It was just now that I realized I had bled all over my dress, and the ground. Both were stained crimson red.

"Ugh, whatever then. Can you just bandage this up, please? I've got to clean myself up, and then go explain to Ryoma why I'm almost an hour late to our meeting. He wanted to discuss something with the family."

He obliged, wrapping my lower arm in a thick bandage. I forced a smile, thanked him, and left for my room. I threw my dress in the fire, since I knew it couldn't be salvaged. Oboro would be furious, but it wasn't like it was any worse than her seeing it and deciding the same thing. I had to rinse my abdomen where the blood had soaked the whole way through the cloth. Then I threw on something decent to wear and headed for my meeting.

"Brother, I really think this is a horrible idea," Takumi insisted. He and Ryoma seemed to be having a large disagreement over something. Sakura was sitting between them, her head in her hands. I couldn't tell whether it was in sadness or irritation. I knew she hated when the boys argued. She seemed exasperated, so I concluded it might just be Ryoma and Takumi's nonsense. Corrin was surprisingly absent from the room. I slammed the door behind me, distracting them from their conversation. They both looked at me, with a strange anger that wasn't at all fierce. They were just having your average disagreement, but with all the conviction in the world that they were right. That was a normal occurrence between the two.

Ryoma sighed, "Hinoka, where have you been? I'm not upset, but when I call a meeting I expect you to come."

I realized I was wearing sleeves, so he couldn't see my arm. I pulled it back to show them, "I gouged myself on a thorn in the garden. Then _somebody's_ incompetent fool of a retainer took half an hour to get help."

Without any indication, the three understood I meant Hinata. Sakura looked me in the eyes, "I wish I hadn't been busy here, I would have helped you. My apologies, sister. Do you want me to take a look at it?"

I shook my head, "Azama took care of it. I just wish he would have come before it bled so much that I couldn't move my arm."

"It sounds like you had a rough morning," Ryoma started again, "We were just discussing a, er, somewhat personal matter. For all of us."

I took a seat across from Sakura and took a deep breath, "And what would that be?"

"He wants us to give up our freedom and be courted," Takumi spat distastefully. Courting? That certainly didn't sound up his alley.

"It's mostly for me," Ryoma explained, "The people of Hoshido would love to have a queen again. And it would alleviate my workload. So I thought I should find a woman, and I figured perhaps you lot might be interested as well. It hasn't gone unnoticed that none of us have considered marriage so far. I'm not imposing it on you or anything, it's just that Takumi takes everything as an insult."

Takumi angrily bellowed, "I do not take _everything_ as an insult! It's just that I was truly insulted by your insinuation that I need to settle down and give up my adventurous way of life! Would you seriously consider for a second that I would agree to this nonsense?"

The two of them exchanged furious mockeries and implications at each other. Sakura quickly excused herself and ran out of the room. I followed her, hoping to comfort her. By that time I think she had figured out that I knew about her depressed state. It was my hope that she'd open up to me and I might be able to help her out. I tried not to make myself known as she stormed down the corridors to her room. I paused for a minute after she slammed her door, then creaked it open. Sakura laid face down on her bed and grunted loudly at me.

"It's only me, Sakura," I told her in a calming voice, "It's okay, you know how Takumi is. He'll never get married, not even to his soulmate." She didn't answer at first, so I sat next to her and stroked her back. She hummed sadly, sobbing occasionally. I kept on caressing her, making her feel a little better. We sat like that for a while. Eventually she sat up and looked at me, a look of despair in her watery eyes. It seemed to me like she just wanted to let it all go, and so she had.

"Hinoka..." she whimpered, "why is it... why do I... ugh..."

I wrapped her in a hug, "I know you've been hurting since the war ended. I know you probably don't like your life anymore. Sometimes I don't either. Just tell me everything and maybe you'll feel better. That's what I did with mom when Corrin got taken away, and when dad died. You can trust me."

Sakura stared into my eyes, blinking away tears, "Okay... I will..." she managed. She drew a great big breath, then began, "Ever since we came home, life has been a million shades of black and white. The war was my worst nightmare. You were the only person left that I truly cared about. I know, the boys were there too. But it's the truth. You really were the only light in my world. And you of all people should know that you haven't been cheery this past year either. I'm used to losing myself in my thoughts instead of socializing. But my thoughts have been infested with all the death, heartbreak and cruelty I witnessed in battle. When I close my eyes, I see murder. Even when I am able to shake off my horrible mentality, a great sadness still dwells inside of me. I think my birthday was the only time I felt happy at all in the past year."

I sat there, stunned at her revelation. A single tear rolled down my cheek. She finished off her lament by saying, "Whatever shall I do, my dear sister?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Is there anything that gives you hope in this world, Sakura?" I asked her. It was quite the question, but I considered it necessary. Hope, I had decided, would have to be the answer. Neither of us had anything else.

Sakura pondered it, "Well, my flower garden makes me feel a little better sometimes. It reminds me that there's still beauty in this hell," she paused, "Sorry, that was awfully dark, wasn't it?"

"So are our lives," I agreed, "and that's good, but it's not what I'm looking for. I mean something that makes you feel like it could make things better, long term."

"Well, to be honest, I liked the idea of courtship. It's a strange way to find love, but I thought that maybe I'd find someone who can brighten my days and give me a reason to live. Someone to look forward to every morning when I wake up. Someone to make me feel better when my memories cripple me. Someone to love."

That kind of surprised me, but it made sense. The last time she had someone who really loved her and understood her, it seemed to have been one of her happiest points in her life. Mom really had Sakura figured out and loved her like a real mother. Maybe love was something she needed back.

"I think that's exactly what you need, Sakura. And who knows? Maybe I need it too. Let's go tell Ryoma we're on board with it," I suggested. She let out a rare smile, just like she used to, and we returned to our meeting.

Ryoma and Takumi both wore tired, defeated expressions on their faces. They were slumped back in their chairs, and Takumi might've even been asleep. I saw Ryoma look up at us and smile. He perked up and walked over.

"Is everything okay, you two?" he said, concerned. It was good to see that he really cared about us. Compassion was truly one of his most kingly virtues.

Sakura spoke up, "Yes, Ryoma. I was overwhelmed with all the shouting, that's all. I'm not sure that I told you before, but I'd like to be included in this courtship ordeal."

"And I as well," I interjected, "It is a huge change for the three of us, and we shall face it together. Will our dear brother be joining us in it?"

The lump in Takumi's chair spoke eloquently, "There aren't a million demons in the depths of the most bitter hell that could so much as force me to consider this idea. I won't have any woman vying for my hand, even should it be the most beautiful lass in existence. She could be a literal goddess of everything I enjoy or hold dear, and yet should she attempt to woo me I should bombard her with the sharpest of arrows. I would pierce her very skull, and smash that skull into a million fragments, then devour them."

"When you've finished being an absolute sociopath, let me know. I have somewhere I'd rather be, and quite frankly it's anywhere but right here," I told him.

"At least help me out of my chair, won't you Hinoka?" he chuckled morosely. I agreed to that, tugging him by the wrist. He really was tired, just from his intense shouting session with his brother.

Ryoma piped up, "Oh, Hinoka, I forgot to tell you about something. Corrin has left on a journey, to where she wouldn't say. I suspect she might have gone to find Azura, or that she's simply gone mad. Anyhow, she up and left not long before you got here this morning."

I shrugged, "Well then, I suppose I won't be seeing her then. Any indication of when she'll return?"

He said, "Not a one. You can count on her return, though. She's dependable if nothing else."

"And plenty else, mind you," I told him.

Takumi wandered out of the room to calm himself down. Sakura invited me to come with her to the baths. I agreed and soon we were relaxing in the warm water. My wound was wrapped in gauze, but I got it all soggy so I unwrapped it. The water stung on the cut, but felt kind of good. Sakura winced at the sight of it, but I assured her it didn't hurt anymore. It had been a long time since I'd bathed with Sakura, although we did it frequently before the war. Maybe her newfound hope had changed something in her. I was just glad to see a grin below her cherry pink hair. After a while my gaze grew tired and it rested on my sister. That's when I happened to notice some bruises on her thighs and forearms. I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Where did those bruises come from? They look pretty bad," I worried.

She sighed, "I couldn't bear to pierce the skin, but I knew that if you were far enough gone that pain can feel good. I don't like it. There isn't much I do like, though. It keeps me from my mental pain when it gets bad. Don't worry about it though, I know not to do any real harm to myself. Just some aches here and there."

"That hurts me to hear," I told her, "But I'm not sure what I expected. I'm glad you're not scarring yourself, at least. Speaking of aches, I've got a kink in my shoulder that I can't reach. You wouldn't mind working that out for me, would you? Please?"

Sakura waded over to me, nodding. She rubbed, pressing as hard as she could. I was surprised at her strength. I took her hand and directed it to my discomforted spot. I felt a pang of relief as the knot in my shoulder let go, loosening up. I moaned in delight, and she stopped.

"Do you have anything I can help with, sister?" I offered. It was the least I could do amidst her suffering and depression.

"Yes, actually. It's nothing I can do by myself, so I've amassed a few stiff spots and small displacements. Nothing I'd dare ask Subaki or Hana, either," she smiled. I stood behind her and massaged her back. A few of the spots were in her neck and lower back, too. I maneuvered around behind her, applying plenty of pressure. I heard a few snaps and cracks as I eased her pains.

An hour or so later, fingers wrinkly and recuperation done with, I parted ways with Sakura and retired to my room. It felt better to stay in what little clothes I had worn in the bath, so I let them dry for a while then left them on for bed. The blankets wrapped me in their warmth and I dozed off mostly at ease.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a week later, and Sakura seemed to be her old self again, to some extent. There were a few things, such as the occasional spring in her step, and her cute laugh, that hadn't reappeared yet. But her mood had greatly improved. It was just like my sweet little flower had started to grow once more, having wilted through a harsh winter. Her smile, the light in her eyes, it all told me she was ready to blossom. All she needed was a little kick to get her going. That day, Ryoma brought her, and us as well, one step closer to that bloom with some good news.

Sakura and I stepped into the meeting room and sat next to Ryoma. He grinned and looked up at us.

"Welcome, sisters. Yukimura came to me last night with news on our courtship idea. He said that he has put out a few offers to high class families around Hoshido, the Flame and Wind Tribes, Izumo, and Nestra, to gauge their interests in courting the three of us. He received some answers, from people he kept anonymous to me, and has invited them to commune here in two days' time. I know that doesn't give us a whole lot of time, but I trust it will be enough time for the three of us. The royal guard is preparing, as a safeguard for a worst-case scenario situation. Yukimura assures me that it won't be necessary, but our generals are anxious about our first gathering from surrounding nations since the war. I have no clue who exactly they're worried about, but it is a nice reassurance."

Sakura's eyebrows lifted, "You said only two days, brother? Is that enough for the seamstresses to prepare our gowns and such? Have you even asked Oboro about this yet?"

He nodded, "Yes, Sakura, that is taken care of. I have arranged for the two of you to pick a few gowns to be made for the occasion. We'll want you both looking you best, shouldn't we? I know neither of you fancy being beauty queens or anything extravagant, but one's natural allure isn't normally enough around proper people such as those we'll be meeting. We of all people should know that, after all."

I spoke up, "I agree, ourselves may not quite be enough for any foreigners. They may still be wary of us after our conflict with Nohr. I think, too, that it was wise not to invite Mokushu. I know they aren't hostile, but if Kagero is any example, they might not be so fond of us."

Ryoma's face scrunched reflexively, "Hinoka, I'd rather you didn't remind me of that. I don't like to think of ill fate pertaining to my retainers. Anyhow, we don't have much more to discuss, unless somebody has something else to say."

The two of us shook our heads, then Sakura said, "Hinoka, let us go choose our gowns together. It'll be more fun with company, don't you think? Come on!" she grinned and left the room with long, energetic strides. I chuckled and followed after her, and agreed. We later entered Oboro's workshop, only to find her absent. One of the other seamstresses was using her workstation, though.

Sakura asked her, "Hello, do you know anything about our dresses we're having made? We were told there should be samples ready for us."

The young sewer gave a look at surprise having suddenly met two princesses, "Oh! Yes, in fact, I was just finishing this last one. Miss Oboro is out right now, so she left me to finish this. What do you think?"

She laid out an array of different materials, laced with a variety of patterns. I ended up settling on gold with white, blue with grey, and a silver monotone silk one. Sakura picked out a colourful green and yellow, pink with gold and blue, and white with gold lacing. The girl smiled, gathered up the other samples, and stored them away in a drawer. She set the others in two piles on Oboro's desk, mine and Sakura's choices separate.

"Oh, lady Hinoka, what happened to your arm?" the girl asked, seeing my large bandage, "I hope you're not injured, are you?"

I shook my head, "Yes, but it's minor. I was raked by a thorn bush and they cut into my arm. It doesn't hurt though. See? I can move it freely and everything," I showed her, bending and twisting it. She grinned.

"That's good to hear. We'll have these ready for you in the morning, two days' time."

"Great, thank you," I nodded to her as we exited the workshop. A breeze blew my hair into my face, which I brushed away. Sakura skipped along the path, motioning for me to follow her.

"I'm going to my garden," she giggled, "And I know how mine has prettier flowers than your simple old one. Come relax with me!"

I jogged to catch up with her, "Sure thing, Sakura. I've noticed your mood has improved a lot recently. You must be rather excited about all this, aren't you?"

"Yes, I certainly am. I only worry that some of the men might be indecent with me. I don't know how I should deal with any overzealous advances if they should arise. What do you think?" she asked me.

I thought for a moment, "I hadn't really considered that. I don't think you'll have any problems, these being proper people, but don't be afraid to be stern with them. I know it's not in your nature, but it would definitely solve your problem. Just make sure they know you're not someone to be pressured into anything against your wishes. Some more brutish men out there need to be set straight, for sure."

We arrived in Sakura's garden, and she immediately sat next to a bed of roses. I shuddered, since they reminded me of the other day when my arm was injured, but the feeling passed. She leaned in to sniff them, and I sat next to her with an arm around her shoulders. She nuzzled into me, and I hugged her tight. It was so nice to have sweet, happy Sakura back. She looked up at me and grinned. We sat like that for hours, gazing around at the different flowers in her garden. We chatted about all sorts of things, like what flowers looked prettiest right now, which ones were tallest, and most of all, about what the men we were about to meet would be like. I imagined them to be strong, fun and smart, while she mostly seemed to want someone to care about her and share her interests. Then I teased her a bit about how she "didn't really have any interests". But she responded by explaining how she always loved nature, and how lately the wonder she had for the flora and fauna had returned. The conversation then turned to _my_ interests. Those mostly consisted of riding and spending time with Crystal.

It turned dark before we even noticed, so I retired to my quarters. It had been a good day, and not a busy one. I fell asleep happy and tired.


End file.
